Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery blog series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. I started drinking alcohol at about age 6. Surrounded by military fighter pilots, alcohol … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: Stephanie R. Sterling, the 2018-2019 president of the State Bar of Texas Paralegal Division, issued the following message today for Texas Paralegal Day. Today marks the 37th anniversary of the founding of the Paralegal Division of the State Bar of Texas on October 23, 1981. It was the first such action by any state bar … Continue Reading
By Ricardo Garcia-Moreno I was lying on a stretcher, unable to talk or move as I went into full cardiac arrest the afternoon of February 4, 2018. My heart had stopped beating for approximately 20 minutes, and I was not breathing when emergency medical personnel loaded me into an ambulance. As I faded in … Continue Reading
The Honorable John Frank “Jack” Onion Jr., former presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals who died in September at 93, was one of the longest serving, prolific, and consequential judges in the history of the state of Texas. But “honorable” was not just Judge Onion’s title. It captured his character, his work, … Continue Reading
By now, you have heard there is a shortage of court reporters or felt the pinch of not having a reporter when you need one. The Texas Court Reporters Association, or TCRA, has suggestions to help lawyers have a greater likelihood of having a reporter when they need one. Court reporters are vital to the … Continue Reading
It was a simpler time. When I was a kid in the 1940s and ’50s, growing up in the Oak Cliff section of Dallas, the best part of the week was Saturday. With my 25-cent allowance closely clutched, I stood in a rowdy line at the old Beckley Theater to see the latest B-Western or … Continue Reading
In F.F.P. Operating Partners v. Duenez, 237 S.W.3d 680, 686 (Tex. 2007), the Texas Supreme Court stated that negligent entrustment is a form of vicarious liability. The basis for imposing liability on the owner of the object entrusted to another is that ownership of the object gives the right of control over its use (Id.). But perhaps … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: State Bar of Texas President Joe K. Longley sent the following message to members on July 19. Dear Member, I am writing to let you know that the Board of Directors is seeking candidates for the 2019 president-elect race, which will take place April 1-30. Whether you are interested in running as a … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. I started drinking in high school and immediately liked the way it made me feel. … Continue Reading
Death, drugs, and depression have gained gradual attention within the legal profession. Only a decade or two ago, few would even expel a whisper concerning these issues. But news organizations and films increase needed attention by providing a glimpse into a world most do not understand. In The New York Times last summer (July 15, … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. Sometimes I am insecure explaining how I became an alcoholic. I felt like I should … Continue Reading
By C. Kelly Rentzel Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. According to a recent study, those who score top grades in … Continue Reading
Independent administration of estates in Texas stretches back to even before Texas was a state. Since 1843, when the Congress of the Republic of Texas allowed a testator to provide “that no other action than the probate and registration of the will shall be had in the Probate Courts,” Texas has allowed estate administration free … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. My first experience with alcohol at age 13 should have been as good a deterrent … Continue Reading
Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, urged law schools to weave ethical training into course curriculum earlier and to encourage students to participate in pro-bono work in a recent discussion held at the University of Houston Law Center.… Continue Reading
It is a new day for our most precious resource—our children. The creation of the State Bar of Texas Child Protection Law Section became a reality on January 26, when the State Bar of Texas Board of Directors voted unanimously to form the new section. Both the Family Law and Juvenile Law sections enthusiastically supported … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. There is no doubt that I am an alcoholic, and there is no doubt that … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: State Bar of Texas President Tom Vick sent the following message to members Friday. If you haven’t already, you should soon receive a letter in the mail from your State Bar district director(s) on some of the bar’s latest projects and member benefits. The letter is part of a board initiative to better … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. I am a lawyer celebrating my first year as a solo. I am a horse … Continue Reading
By Teresa Schiller Hurricane Harvey made landfall after days of weather reports and news updates in August 2017. Some of the preparation was last-minute as residents scrambled for safety. Other preparation had begun years earlier, based on lessons learned in responding to other disasters. When the rain subsided, we learned that families and businesses had … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This post is part of the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series. TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. I am supposed to be dead! I weighed over 350 pounds, had high blood pressure, borderline … Continue Reading
By Tammie S. Haynes On a beautiful autumn day, I walked into the redbrick Montgomery County Courthouse annex to a nondescript back hallway. Halfway down a line of chairs along the wall, a lone man sat with his hands clasped, elbows resting on his knees, his head bowed. On a door, a plaque read “Dispute Resolution … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: State Bar of Texas President Tom Vick sent the following message to members on Friday. Dear Fellow Attorneys, I’m writing to update you on the State Bar’s Hurricane Harvey relief efforts and our search for a new executive director. Hurricane Harvey Relief Efforts I know that Hurricane Harvey and its related flooding have … Continue Reading
Editor’s note: This is the second of four special posts in the Texas Lawyers’ Assistance Program’s Stories of Recovery series for National Suicide Prevention Week (September 10-16). TLAP offers confidential assistance for lawyers, law students, and judges with substance abuse or mental health issues. Call TLAP at 1-800-343-8527 (TLAP) and find more information at tlaphelps.org. … Continue Reading
